Something To Sleep To
by Sweet-rush37
Summary: Woody, Jordan and the gang work a case in Las Vegas, but after a wild night in Vegas Jordan and Woody end up hitched, and have to fool their co-workers into believing their in love, or are they fooling themselves. (read and review)FINISHED!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Something to sleep to.

Author: sweet-rush37

Summary: Woody, Jordan and the gang spend some quality time in Las Vegas while working a case... after a wild night in Vegas Woody and Jordan end up hitched, and they have to fool their Co-workers into believing their in love, or are they fooling themselves?

Note: I've been sitting on this story for a really long time, the next one I do is where they get kidnapped together. (thanx Tracey for the idea!)

Jordan made her way down the dimly lighted corridor, trying desperately to force down a bag of stale chips, another day in the morgue, without anything to do.

"Hey boys." She announced herself to Nigel and Bug, they seemed completely engrossed in what they we're doing... what they we're always doing.

"Typing away are we Nigel?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to know what he was working on.

"Of course love, found this excellent new sight on the paranormal, its wicked great want to go for a spin?"

"I'll pass, hey, Bug, whatcha working on?" she asked turning her attention on Bug, who was studying a bug under a microscope rather intensely, he didn't need to look up.

"No!" he mumbled tersely.

"What?!"

"You only talk to me when you want something... the answer is no."

"God you people are no fun!" Jordan muttered, maybe Lily was free, they could scope out guys, could be fun.

"Lil got a minute."

"Sorry Jor, I'm swamped, I got to do four notifications to do before I leave." Before Jordan could respond she had already disappeared behind the thick door of the elevator.

She could see Devan and Peter speaking animatedly in Trace, they weren't free.

Woody. The thought escaped her mind as soon as it entered; he was out with Tyler, his new girlfriend... Jordan didn't like to think about Woody talking to any other girls let alone touching them, she tried not to think about it but sometimes she felt the pangs of jealousy creep up her spine, leaving her completely paralyzed.

Tyler, where the hell had she come from, three weeks ago, Woody burst threw the double doors, his strides cocky and quick.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" she had asked wondering what could have him so worked up.

"I have a date!" he announced happily, picking up an autopsy report and thumbing threw it idly.

"Really!" she nearly choked on her tongue "with who?" she tried not to sound to interested, but he saw the bruised look in her eye.

"This girl I met in L.A., I had to get into this club and I kind of pretended to know her, she's an art history major." He studied her reaction for a long time, sensing the hurt crawling up threw her, he took a step closer to her, but she was out the door before he could get a word in edgewise.

She slumped down in her vinyl chair, prepared to spend another night alone, now that Woody had a life, it seemed they never spent any time together. She sat staring at the phone, somehow wishing he would call, just to talk, like he used to, but things were different no denying that.

"Jordan!" Garret startled her, his frame leaned against the doorway of her office, a smile stained his face.

"What?"

"Why is it that your getting that far off look in your eyes lately?" he asked with a knowing wink.

"No reason." She lied, hiding her feelings, the thing she was best at, building walls quick.

"Could this have something to do with a certain detective finding himself something better to do than serve you hand and foot?"

"No, now is there something you needed?" she huffed, looking pointedly at the file in his hand.

"I thought you might want this one, a dead child star, but obviously your busy pining, so I'll give it to Nigel..." he knew what buttons to push exactly.

"Whoa, where you running off to?" she asked suddenly interested in what he had to say.

"Yeah, Tommy Hawkins,"

"Tommy Hawkins the maple loop kid?"

"None other." Jordan gave a low whistle as she thumbed threw the file.

"Okay, I'll be there."

"Great." He whispered sarcastically. "oh, and Jordan, no hair brained schemes, I don't need it, I got the press biting at my heels, I don't need you too."

"Then why the hell did you ask me?" Jordan joked

"Because I needed the best."

When Jordan arrived at the crime scene Woody was waiting, clipboard wedged between the crook of his arm.

"Hey Jo, how's it going?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"Been better." She replied, better to keep things short and sweet.

"Listen Jord, I've been meaning to talk to you about this whole thing with me and Tyler." He started; she quickly shut him up with a glare.

"It's none of my business." She replied tersely, "What do we got?" she was happy to change the subject

"Tommy Hawkins formerly of the Maple Loops commercial, now found on a street corner in Boston, died of an apparent O.D." Woody shook his head at the irony of it all.

"Look at this." Jordan caught his interest as she turned the body over.

"Is that a..."

"A bullethole, he was murdered." Slapping on her latex gloves, she pulled a plastic card from the small pool of blood gathered under the lifeless body.

"Now that is a room key." Woody said, handing her a plastic bag.

"Hey Wood." She started, as she did his cell phone started screaming. He silently cursed it as he searched for it in the folds of his coat pocket.

The night air was crisp, she could see everyone's breath, each silvery cloud that escaped their lips, it reminded her of the day her mother was killed, though she'd never admit it.

"Hey Ty." Woody said, a broad grin spread across his face. She rolled her eyes, he used to smile like that for her, and only her.

"Hey Tomcat." She said on the other line.

"What do you want?" he muttered playfully

"just wanted to tell you not to eat on your way home cause I made dinner."

"Well aren't I lucky." He teased, she giggled

"I guess you are, see yah Woody baby." She hung up the phone.

Woody turned to see Jordan staring at him doggedly

"What?"

"Nothing." She stated, closing her kit with a slam. He watched her walk away and wondered if he'd ever win with her.

Note: What do you guys think?


	2. Viva Las Vegas!

Tyler Chase walked with a certain air, people instantly wanted to be her friend, Woody had that affect too, and in that retrospect they were quite perfect for each other.

Her strawberry blonde hair was thick and feathery, her make up perfect, her eyes frosted pink to match pink business suit, barely revealing her zebra stripped blouse underneath. It was hardly a suit at all; its skirt hiked up and jacket reveling just the right amount of cleavage

"Hey Gentlemen." She announced herself to Nigel and Bug as she entered the crypt. Smiles grew on their faces as they both snapped off their latex gloves, hastily offering her a seat.

"Hi Tyler." They both said in unison their smiles growing. Jordan rolled her eyes, she couldn't believe that this woman showed up out of the blue and hooked up with Woody, her Woody! Whatever Jordan did she couldn't shake the sight of Tyler's hand resting on Woody's strong arm, or his arm wrapped around Tyler's neck, that was suppose to be her, not Tyler.

"Hey Boys... Jordan, have you guys seen Woody? He left so stuff at my office and the boys at the precinct told me I could more than likely find him here."

"I haven't seen him since this morning when he came by to pick up the autopsy report." Jordan huffed, she had to get out of there, she felt sick to her stomach. Just as her figure passed the doorframe she ran smack dab into the one person she had been trying to avoid.

"Hey Jordan pleasant surprise!" he ran his hands down her arms, that tingling feeling in her spine rose, she shook it off and pushed past him.

"Your girlfriend is in there Detective Hoyt." She muttered, jogging into her office and slamming the door behind her, on the verge of tears. She had resolved not to call him Farm boy or even call him by his first name, it became too personal she felt like she could hardly breathe anymore, she would build the walls back up before she got hurt, or had she already gotten hurt?

Grabbing her purse she raced towards the elevator, hoping that a good walk in the crisp morning air would do her some good. The air was cool and clean, sounds of Boston hustling around was comforting for her. She could see her breath, each cloud that escaped her painted lips.

She was not in love with woody. She repeated to herself over and over, and one day she would believe it and it would be true. Snap out of it Cavanaugh, she scolded herself. It wasn't like he was going to wait around forever.

She didn't know she was crying until she felt the hot wetness against her cheeks, she leaned against the building, pressing her sobs into the back of her hand. Slowly, allowing the rough granite of the building graze her coat, she slid to the ground, her chin quivering out of control. She desperately wanted someone to comfort her, but the one person she needed was the one person she was running from.

"Hey Nigel, did we find out where that room key was from?" Woody asked. Tyler was speaking animatedly to Devan; they seemed to get along well enough. Some part of him wanted Jordan to try to get along with her, she was his best friend, and without her, nothing felt okay.

Jordan came back inside; her hair mussed a small bit from the wind, no matter what, that woman could have leprosy and still be the most beautiful woman to him. She pretended everything was Okay, he could see the redness in her eyes.

"Woodrow, the man of little faith, of course I found where the room key is from, its my job." He smiled cheerily, knowing exactly what buttons to push.

"Okay... then tell me where its from." Woody snapped, shaking his head at the lanky Brit.

"It's from a motel in Las Vegas, more specifically The La marina'."

"You mean La Marina'." Woody corrected.

Nigel thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Well if it's the La Marina' that means 'The The Marina'?" Woody said to Nigel in a confused tone.

"Right." Nigel agreed, Woody shook his head in bewilderment. Jordan grabbed a box of cookies from Nigel's desk, glaring at Woody as she did. Nigel shook his head softly, she had been eating almost non-stop for the past two weeks, whether she wanted to admit it or not, Woody seeing somebody was doing something awful to her.

"And why is that so special?" Woody asked, chewing on his fingernails.

"Stop chewing on your damned fingernails Tomcat!" Tyler scolded as Woody came over to sit next to her, draping his arm around her neck, pulling her close to him, whispering something into her ear, she giggled and placed a hand on his shoulder. Jordan's heart leapt to her throat seeing that feminine hand resting on his dress shirt.

"I think I'm going to get sick." She mumbled under her breath.

"Because!" Nigel interrupted, clearing his throat loudly. "It's registered to a Scott Coleman of Las Vegas." Lily and Garret walked in talking spiritedly, Lily with her trusty clipboard.

"Well, looks like I'm going on a little trip to Sin City." Woody sighed, he would give anything not to have to get on another plane. He rubbed his forehead with a sweaty palm, twelve hours of minimal leg room and bad peanuts, not his dream weekend. He looked up to be met by seven pairs of eyes, including Jordan, looking at him expectantly.

"Oh... No... No! You guys are not cops you stay here and cut up dead people!" he shouted in realization

Two days later he was sitting in between Tyler and Jordan, Nigel and Peter behind him throwing peanuts at the back of his head. Lily and Bug across the narrow pathway, Devan and Garret had stayed to man the morgue, duty called.

Tyler was sleeping her forehead pressed against the window, her makeup leaving a white smudge. Jordan was thumbing threw a magazine, not meeting his eyes.

"Jo, I wanted to talk to you about Tyler." He said softly

"What about her?" Jordan retorted finally for the first time in weeks looking up to meet his eyes.

"I wanted to know how you were feeling about it?" it was more a question than a demand, he searched her eyes for some feeling, some sign, anything.

"It's none of my business."

"Come oh Jo, really?"

"I just don't think she's right for you." She said offhandedly, looking back down at her magazine, but she felt that familiar sickening feeling in her stomach.

"Oh I get it Jordan, you don't want me, but you don't want anyone else to have me is that it." She just stared at him doggedly; he huffed and shifted to stare out the window.


	3. Tomcat

Woody yawned as they made their way threw the empty terminal, everyone's feet dragged. Lily yawned in short succession to Woody. Jordan's feet scuffed against the linoleum floor, each sound rang threw the empty building, shattering the silence.

"God, how sad am I?" Lily asked tiredly, "I'm in Las Vegas and all I can think about is taking a nap and having a hot shower." She added as an afterthought. "Now I know I'm old."

They we're quite a sight to see, seven thirtysomethings dragging their luggage threw a deserted airport at four O'clock in the morning. The sun was just rising, darkness still flooded the sky, though red was beginning to bled through. Tyler had laid her head on Woody's shoulder tiredly, he had wrapped his arm around her shoulder comfortingly, yet he couldn't take his eyes off of Jordan in her wrinkled Red Sox shirt and black form fitting jeans, a matching baseball cap covered her mussed hair.

By the time they made it to the hotel Peter and Nigel had succeeded in make Woody's life completely miserable, bombarding his head with stale popcorn and peanuts, whatever they had left, every time Woody whirled around to stare angrily at them, they had the most innocent, angelic looks plastered to there faces.

"Hey we need rooms." Woody informed the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn. Tyler raised an eyebrow when she saw her, blonde hair, no more than nineteen, smacking her gum enthusiastically.

"Whoa, for all of you?" she asked in her baby voice, her eyes wandering back and forth threw the crowd.

"YES." Woody stated firmly, rolling his eyes, she crinkled her nose and grimaced. "Theirs a Barbie convention and we only have two rooms." Woody rolled his eyes, he was tired, sweaty and grimy, so far, his vacation hadn't been the best.

"Well I guess we'll have to split up." Peter stated the obvious, everyone looked at him pointedly. "What?" he asked which was soon followed by a few eye rolls and groans.

"Why don't me, Lily and... uh... Tyler take a room?" Jordan suggested, Woody grimaced when he heard the way she said Tyler's name, everyone did.

"How about Tyler, Nigel and I take one room." Woody countered, everyone seemed to agree.

Each step was hell for Tyler in her three inch heels, she trudged up the hallway to their room, Peter and Woody in front of her, chatting tiredly, at least she didn't have to carry her luggage, Woody, ever the gentlemen had offered to carry her luggage, she readily agreed.

The boys in front of her paused in front of a door.

"Please tell me this is it." She bit out.

"Room 1710...yep." Woody smiled at her, a warm boyish smile.

"Thank god." She muttered as they passed threw the threshold, she didn't even take the time to glance around the well lit room at the chartreuse walls and cheap particle board furniture. With a snort she collapsed on the bed. "I have never been more happy for pillows." She stated with a grin, looking up at Woody.

He looked down at her as he jerked his belt off. She sat studying him for a minute, then looking around for Peter, sat up, he was in the bathroom.

"Woody, I don't think your friend Jordan likes me very much."

He tried to play it off, she saw it, he shrugged his shoulders. "What makes you think that babe?" he asked his voice shaking slightly.

"How about every time I walk into a room her eyes burn into the back of my skull."

"That's bonding for Jordan." Woody tried in vain to reassure her; she just raised a eyebrow and tilted a cheek to the sky to get a better look into his eyes.

Peter startled them by running from the small bathroom, the shower running, 'thank god he's dressed' was all Woody thought as he jogged past them to the mini bar and turned on the TV.

"I think we're going to need a bigger bottle of scotch." He commented at the pint size liquor bottles in his hand, settling on the floor in front of the TV.

"Pete, what the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm waiting for the water to heat up." He commented, staring at the football game and popping a tums in his mouth. "Did I interrupt a moment?" he asked in a mock sweet tone.

"I'm this close from kicking your ass." Woody replied angrily.

"Aw, I did."

Suddenly a knock echoed threw the small room. "Who is it?!" Woody shouted, becoming more and more irritated, at this rate he would never get to sleep.

"Its Jordan, I have to come in now." Woody's breath caught in his throat.

"Its your evil queen." Peter joked.

"Shut the hell up." Woody retorted, tossing a pillow in Peter's general direction.

The second the latch slid from its place the door flung open, revealing Jordan, clad in only a towel. Not providing an explanation she ran into the bathroom and flung the door shut.

"Hey that's my shower!" Peter screamed at closed door, Jordan's muffled voice followed soon.

"Not anymore it isn't, Lily used up all the hot water and Bugs watching the discovery channel.

When Jordan emerged from the steam filled bathroom in the complimentary robe the light was still on, Peter was sprawled on the floor, small, empty liquor bottles scattered around him. Woody and Tyler we're asleep on the bed, her eyes shut peacefully, his head resting against her flat stomach, his clear blue off somewhere else. She slowly turned off the TV and made her way to the nightstand lamp, his badge and gun latent next to it. As she past Woody she stopped and pushed a stray hair from his face.

"Goodnight Jordan." He whispered tiredly, rolling over, she smiled and turned out the light, turning to the door. He could faintly hear her mumble a soft "Goodnight Tomcat.", and smiled, he liked that nickname coming from her lips, she gave him something to dream to.


	4. I can save you

Jordan leaned against the cherry red Honda accord behind her, her elbows resting against the cool paint of the hood; she shielded her eyes from the glare of the morning sun. Woody was near her, she could feel the heat radiating from his body against her. Lily and Nigel were talking animatedly, Nigel perched on the trunk listening avidly to Lily speak in high, spirited tones.

"Come On Peter!" Jordan screeched, patience was never her strong quality. Peter came bounding down the stairs, his lace caught under his sneaker and he flew forward, falling flat on his stomach at the bottom. Bug, who was sitting in the passenger seat, leaned over and slammed his fist into the middle of the steering wheel, blaring the horn, sending everyone scattering.

"Jesus Christ Bug!" Woody shouted, kicking the wheel of the car in frustration.

"Sorry." He replied innocently, giving Woody a smug smirk. "Now get in the car, we're going to be late."

Woody helped Tyler stand from where she sat on the pavement, wiping herself off.

"I say we leave without him." Lily stated, climbing into the backseat in between Jordan and Nigel. Tyler, Peter and Woody would be taking a cheap Ford truck that they rented along with the Honda.

Jordan tried to avert her gaze from Woody, where he stood in his jeans and old T shirt that was just tight enough to see his ripped abs. Then she gazed at Tyler, in her black blouse that hung just off the shoulders and pinstriped suit pants, they looked complete opposites, they didn't fit. Jordan looked down at her hands, all painted up with red fingernail polish, she almost never painted her fingernails, but after seeing Woody and Tyler together, she started to do things she wouldn't before, weighing herself, and once she caught herself in a cosmetics isle, browsing for perfume.

"What's the matter Jordan?" Lily asked, snapping Jordan out of her thoughts.

"Oh, Nothing, its nothing." Jordan tried to play it off, but her honey eyes spoke themselves, telling a story all their own.

"Come on Love, tell Uncle Nigel everything." Nigel wrapped an arm around Jordan's neck, pulling her as close to him as possible.

"It's nothing! God!" Jordan snapped pulling away from his grip.

"Oh, it's something." Lily stated, jabbing her finger in Jordan's face, Jordan slapped it away.

"Let me guessâ hmmm, it's got something to do with Woodrow?" Nigel asked raising an eyebrow pointedly.

"How come whenever something's wrong, you guys automatically assume that its got something to do with me and Detective Hoyt?"

"So there is something wrong!" Nigel quipped; Jordan rolled her eyes dramatically before giving in.

"It's just" she couldn't finish her thought; she was staring out the back windshield, watching the worn Ford truck behind them, Woody driving, his eyes on the road.

"It's just that you're in love with Woody and he's with Tyler." Lily said, looking to Jordan expectantly. Jordan's head shot up, she pointed to Lily in anger.

"Hey, I am not in love with Detective Hoyt" Lily raised a perfectly arched eyebrow and nodded her head as if to say 'exactly.' She looked over to Nigel who had a silly grin pasted to his pale face. "I am not in love with Detective Hoyt!" she announced again. They leaned back satisfied in their seats.

"Scott, Scott Coleman open up police!" Woody shouted smacking the school bus yellow door with his palm. Lily, Tyler, Bug and Nigel were watching intently from the sidewalk. Jordan stood next to Woody, her eyes boring into the window, her eyes refusing to look at Woody.

"Come on Mister Coleman!" Woody yelled with an aggravated tone. "I've traveled to the sphincter of the universe to come talk to you." Woody looked up at the sky, slamming his fist into the door once more. "I know your in there, I saw you getting your mail." Suddenly the door jarred and a stout bald man appeared in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" he growled, looking Jordan up and down. Woody rolled his eyes.

"I'm detective Hoyt, this is Jordan Cavanaugh with the Massachusetts state medical examiners office did you rent a room at the La Marina'?" Woody asked an angry tone to his usually happy-go-lucky voice.

"No why?" the man opened the door a bit farther; he was dressed in a Armani suit, neat as a pin.

"Because a room key was found under a dead man."

"What the hell does that have to do with me?" he barked

"The room was registered to you." Woody quipped giving the man a self-satisfied smirk. Scott Coleman sighed heavily and moved aside to allow Woody to come in.

"Massachusetts huh? That's a long way to come. Who was killed?" he asked Woody, proffering Jordan a chair.

"Tommy Hawkins, he was found shot to death in an alleyway in Boston."

"Doesn't surprise me." The man stated offhandedly "That kid was trouble."

"What do you mean?" Woody asked, the mans wife came in, pretty as a picture, her hair in soft brown waves, tall, her eyes frosted blue.

"He was on heroin, cocaine you name it he used it." Woody jotted something down in his trusty notebook and looked back up at the man.

"How do you know Mister Hawkins?"

The man removed his spectacles and set them down, rubbing his forehead with a sweaty palm.

"He was my son."


	5. The Plan

"Say what?" Woody asked in confusion, looking to Jordan, who just shrugged her shoulders and picked at a fingernail.

"I haven't seen him since he was seventeen, he had done the commercial when he was ten and had the bank account, when he was seventeen.... He split, no need for him to stay. He sent his mother a postcard once a month, last week we got a postcard from L.A. telling us he was safe, that's the last time we heard from him."

Jordan glanced at the woman standing in the doorway, her face white as snow, looking from Woody, to Jordan, to her husband. "My boy, Tommy, is he dead?" she asked a solitary tear falling down her face.

"I'm afraid so Mrs. Coleman, I'm terribly sorry for you loss." Jordan was always surprised by Woody's depth of caring for the families of his victims, a caring Detective Cruz or Seeley just didn't have.

Her lip trembled, but she kept her composure, her hands shook. She looked as if she would shatter if anyone touched her. Slowly, with painstaking care she turned, holding a hand to her mouth, she jogged to her bedroom and slammed the door, her gut wrenching sobs could be heard from where the three figures stood.

Woody stared at the door for a long while, thoughts running threw his head, he wished he could do more for the family, he wished he could reverse the damage that had been done, somehow turn back the hands of time and prevent that woman's pain.

Jordan saw that bruised look enter his eyes, she often saw that look when he was looking down at the corpse of a battered human life, or simply staring down at a file with a name on it. To most detectives it was just a name to Woody it was a life, with hopes and dreams... people with soccer practice and piano lessons, people with failures and accomplishments and that was what made him a good detective, he cared when it seemed no one else did; that's the one thing Jordan and Woody had in common.

"Detective Hoyt, is it possible that you could come back tomorrow, to my office, I will be happy to talk more there." The man asked in a soft voice. Woody looked back to the door, his eyes lingering on the gleaming brass door handle.

"It's like a domestic prison." Lily stated, scanning the perfect two stories all alike in paint and style, all landscapes were perfect, she laughed and shook her head. Nigel skimmed the crowd of people, Bug and Tyler we're talking, sitting Indian style on the bed of the truck. Peter, Lily and himself we're sitting on the sidewalk facing the door of the house. Making sure that Bug and Tyler were immersed enough into conversation that she wouldn't hear what they were saying, he turned to stand in front of his co-workers.

"Alright, something has to be done." He stated, pushing his hair out of his face.

"About what?" Peter asked, looking at Nigel skeptically.

"Jordan and Woodrow...." He said soberly, nodding his head towards the door,

"Like what?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I've been waiting for you to ask love!" he said, his grin widening.

"You have?"

"I have the perfect plan."

"You do?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"With Woodrow's eager to please attitude and Jordan's type A persona, together they can't loose a bet now can they?" he asked raising an eyebrow, he smirk broadening once again.

"What are you talking about?!" Peter exclaimed in agitation.

"Well we'll make a little wager with are dear Jordan and Woody that they can't refuse." Nigel explained helpfully.

"What about Tyler?" Lily whispered.

"Let me take care of that Love." Nigel quipped.

"I don't know about this Nige." Peter said shaking his head solemnly.

"And why not?" Nigel snapped defensively

"Have you ever seen Woody and Jordan fight?" Peter declared "Its like the first twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan."

"I know." Nigel said matter-of-factly, "and we always get caught in the middle... so just leave it to me mate." He slapped Peter on the shoulder and leaned against the car with a self satisfied smile.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Peter whispered to Lily as they stared at the smirk plastered to Nigel's thin face.


	6. White Wedding

Note: I got an email from someone asking and I thought I should address, yes, this is the same Tyler from Sunset Division, and I had to bring her into one of my stories and thought she might be useful to this one. Love, Jenna

"Woody Baby, I have to go." Tyler said, struggling to button up the top button of her form fitting, baby blue business suit.

"Why?" he asked not taking his eyes off of the baseball game in front of him.

"A client called my boss and requested that I appraise his gallery." She thought for a moment, wrapping a bit of strawberry hair around her middle finger. "That's never happened before." Woody looked up at Tyler, she was impeccably dressed, miniskirt, her hair falling around her shoulders, she looked like something from a Danielle Steel novel.

"Having a Art History Major as a girlfriend sucks." Woody joked, standing to hug the leggy redhead.

"Have a good time with your friends and don't go meeting any pretty stewardesses while I'm gone now... see yah Tomcat." She kissed him lightly on the lips and smiled flashing her perfectly straight, white teeth. Tyler couldn't help but stare into the blue eyes of the happy-go-lucky detective, while she and Woody hadn't known each other that long, she sensed something, some sadness locked not so far down, she could see it just beyond those blue eyes.

Woody watched as Tyler collected her rolling suitcase and carryon, she was beautiful, smart, funny, and had a good head on her shoulders. But no matter how much he thought about Tyler maybe being his one, he felt so alone, for some unfathomable reason he couldn't see them together, there was only one who he thought of.

Lily and Jordan stood in the hall waiting for the guys, when to Jordan's surprise Tyler came down the white washed hallway.

"Uh, Tyler, where are you going?" Lily asked, a perplexed look in her jade green eyes.

"Oh, a client called, he needed me to appraise some paintings, asked specifically for me... weird huh?" Tyler smiled as she walked off. Just as the elevator chimed and the doors opened, Tyler turned. "Hey, Lil, watch Woody for me."

"Sure thing." Lily said awkwardly. As the 5'10 woman disappeared behind the thick medal doors.

"God I hate her." Jordan mumbled to herself with a firm nod of her head.

"Of course you do." Lily muttered staring out the window.

Bug immerged from the boy's room, dressed in a tee shirt and jeans, soon following Nigel dressed as he usually did, black tee shirt and jeans, his hair falling into his face gently. Then Peter, dressed casually appeared and finally Woody. Jordan felt her insides melt

"Where's Tyler?" Peter asked

"She had to go." Woody said a small bit of sadness in his voice.

"Come on let's go get drunk!" Bug said exasperated

"AMEN!" the all shouted in unison, laughing.

Lily stared tenaciously at Nigel who was breathlessly laughing as Bug tried to swallow his shot.

"Nigel can I have a word with you." She said, her eyes burning a hole into the back of his fading

"Of course love," he said between gasping giggles and another shot. They made their to the back of the small club, all the neon lights and loud music.

"What did you do?" she demanded huffily, pulling the drink from his white hands and bringing it to her lips.

"About what love?" he asked innocently.

"About Tyler?"

"Ah, that."

"Yes _that_." She shouted over the din of the music, imitating his British accent.

"I have my connections." He said, winking mysteriously.

"I never thought you'd actually go through with this crazy idea!"

He only smiled.

"Woodrow, come with me!" Nigel said, slapping the young detective on the back.

"Say what?" Woody asked grinning, he was completely drunk, his dress shirt saturated with alcohol, his tie hanging limply around his neck.

"Come on now mate!" he grabbed Woody by the arm, hard, harder than Woody ever expected, it caught Woody off guard and he promptly lost balance, falling to the grimy floor of the packed club. Nigel had ordered Peter to get Jordan, "Completely Shitfaced" he could see Jordan Giggling out of control as they swayed and wiggled to the face paced song.

"Come on Dear Woodrow, let's go find Jordan!"

"No!" he slurred stubbornly, yanking away from Nigel, stumbling backwards.

"And why not!"

"Because she's mad at me." Nigel smiled, all self assurance

"Why is she mad at you?"

"Because." Woody whispered

"What?!"

"Because I'm with Tyler to hurt her... to show her how she hurts me... all the time." Woody said sadly, sitting dejectedly on his barstool, nursing his icy bottle of beer. Nigel's smile slipped

He glanced at Peter, Jordan was laughing, leaning into Peter and chugging her drink while swaying to the music. Peter looked to Nigel and mouthed 'help!' he nodded and Peter moved, Jordan followed. Soon Jordan and Woody were standing next to Nigel and Peter and Lily were waiting not to far off, watching at first the happy conversation turn heated.

"I wonder what there talking about?" she asked looking to Peter for an answer.

"I don't know." Peter said, slinking down to a barstool. Just as he did, Nigel came walking over smiling to himself.

"What happened!" Lily shouted over the clamor, Nigel's grin grew, his face looked so jolly.

"Come on." He said as they made their way to the door. "Anytime now, we will see Mr and Mrs. Woodrow Hoyt come out of that chapel. He pointed to a small drive thru chapel. His breath was silvery on the cold night breeze and his cheeks were flushed.

"WHAT?!" Lily and Peter shouted in unison.

"Well, I gave Jordan an offer her drunk ass couldn't refuse... five hundred dollars from each of us if they could stay married for three weeks..."

"How did you get Jordan to do that?" Peter asked, almost at a loss for words.

"Told her she couldn't do it!" Nigel yelled, "And Jordan, well to her of course she can..."

"What about Woody?" Lily asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"What, right now the alcohol is controlling Jordan, and Jordan controls Woodrow."

Lily stabbed a finger at Nigel accusingly "I cannot believe you did that."

"Why not, have you ever seen them together? They finish each others sentences, fight like its World War Three and they don't have sex... they've been married for a long time love."

"Whose going to call Garret and tell him!" Peter and Nigel both took a step back, she sighed angrily. "Nigel Townsend, you are going to call Garret, and then tried and fix this mess you made do you hear me you lousy..." She couldn't finish her sentence for two figures stumbled out of the white double doors of the small building. Jordan threw a small bouquet behind her jubilantly.

"Hey Mister Hoyt!" she screamed kissing Woody passionately

"Hey Mrs. Hoyt!" he shouted back, swinging her hand in his as they skipped down the worn steps.

"Oh My God!" Peter and Lily shouted in unison.

TBC.....

Note: I know this may be unbelievable, but I'm writing as I go along and its not easy... please review, I want to know what you think just be nice. Love, Jenna


	7. The hangover you don't deserve

Woody's mouth felt like wool, his head throbbed and his back felt a raw numbing pain. With a groan he rolled over and immediately felt something cold and metallic against his skin. Handcuffs, he was a cop that had been attached to those cuffs many times, he knew what they felt like. His chest was bear, he was only in his boxer shorts, and Woody looked down at his naked chest in confusion. He could feel someone sleeping next to him under the covers the first person that came to mind was Tyler, and then with a sudden realization he remembered Tyler leaving... 'Great,' he thought to himself, poking at the figure like he was a child poking a dead cat with a stick. 'Another one night stand.' He couldn't for the life of him remember who it was and why he was handcuffed to his bed.

Suddenly a hand reached up and slapped his finger away. "Will You Stop It!" the voice shouted. Woody recoiled, falling to the floor, snapping backwards because of his chained up arm, he began to hyperventilate. 'That was not Jordan' he thought to himself, trying desperately trying to calm himself down. Suddenly a dark-haired head popped up from the crumpled blankets.

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus." Jordan groaned her voice thick; she fell back down into her soft pillows. She picked up the alarm clock clumsily and then noticed the hand hanging from the handcuffs. "Hey?" She couldn't remember sleeping with anyone... she didn't remember anything besides walking down steps, she was fully clothed, that had to mean something.

Slowly a head peeked up from where the shape sat on the carpet, the first thing she saw was the unmistakable indigo eyes. She did the first thing that came to her unambiguously blank brain. She screamed.

Kicking the blankets back she took off for the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.

"Hey, Jo, you want to let me out of these cuffs... please?" Woody begged.

"What the hell happened?" Jordan demanded her voice muffled from behind the door. Her skin was prickled with cold sweat and her hands felt clammy. She could vaguely remember small bits of the night before, lots of bright lights, Nigel. Crap, Nigel, something really bad must have happened. Slowly she crawled to the sink and laid her head against the cool tile; she raised a shaky hand and pulled on the faucet, allowing the cool water to rush down in an angry waterfall, watching it rush by her at top speed.

"I'm not entirely sure!" Woody heard the sound of the water being turned on in the sink. He wished he remembered what happened; right now the only thing he knew was that he needed a cup of coffee and an aspirin. "Hon, you okay." He got no response, just the sound of the handles of the faucet squeaking off.

With her face washed in frosty cold water, Jordan fell to the floor and allowed the icy tile to stick to her bare leg. What had happened? Why was Woody handcuffed to the bed? All these questions buzzed around in Jordan's head, questions without answers, the worst kind. "Fine... Woody?"

"Yes?!" he asked in an almost irritated tone.

"Why are you handcuffed to your bed?" she asked, slowly crawling to the door to peek outside at the man sitting awkwardly on the hard, mussed mattress.

"What would make you think I know?" he asked as she stood and walked out, willing the nausea and vertigo to die down.

"Oh, I don't know, but if I was chained to a bed I think I'd know ." She retorted sharply.

"Hey this is not my fault!" Woody jabbed an accusing finger towards her.

"Are you implying that it's my fault?" Jordan snapped back at him.

"No!" Failing to find anymore words, he gave up, slowly Jordan started to dig around the room in search for the key to the handcuffs. Then the door banged open, and Nigel was standing in the room, holding a tray and smiling....

"Morning Sunshine... Jordan." Nigel joked in a jolly voice.

"Aw crap he's smiling." Woody stated in a sardonic tone.

"That's never a good thing." Jordan added her voice soft and confused.

"Morning Pet." Nigel exclaimed cheerily to Jordan, kissing her affectionately on the cheek. "Hello Woodrow, how does this day find you?!"

"Not so loud." Woody barked annoyed, rubbing his head with his palm.

"Ah, we all know how that feels... that is why I come bearing aspirin and hot coffee Mate." Nigel stated, handing Woody an aspirin. Woody popped the pill and swallowed it dry.

"Now." Woody said clearly relieved to see Nigel. "Get me out of these cuffs."

"No can do." Nigel said dully, as an afterthought he added under his breath. "I probably should have cuffed Jordan."

"What are you talking about?" Jordan demanded, taking a cup of coffee in one hand and running the other hand threw her mussed hair.

Nigel suddenly looked uncomfortable; he set the tray down on the particle board table, and backed towards the door.

"Last night, when you we're drunk... well you... uh, lets just say, you Love, are now the proud owner of your very own detective... enjoy," he swallowed painfully, his hand on the doorknob. "Mrs. Hoyt." As those words fell from his lips he turned on his heels and ran, and he ran fast.

It took a moment to register in Jordan's head, Mrs. Hoyt? Then it all came rushing back, the steps, steps to the chapel... the bet, 2500.00 $ if she could stay married to Woody for three weeks, she remembered thinking she could use the money. And Woody, she remembered him, his eyes, he meant it, even after he passed out next to the toilet in the bar... 'oh, god' she thought.

And she took off running, Coffee in hand; she threw it with all her might at the lanky, tall figure running at top speed. It hit the nape of his neck; the burning liquid seeping threw the thin cotton fabric. Nigel yelped in pain but kept running. , they passed Peter and Lily who were sitting in the hall, watching the spectacle.

"Should we help him?" Peter asked Lily listlessly

"Nah." She responded

Suddenly Jordan turned, she would cut him off, she had to smile when she saw the brass luggage cart, she had to love five star hotels. Pushing the cart she pulled to a stop at the end of the hallway... she waited.

The second she saw his leg, she thrust the heavy cart into it, sending Nigel sprawling to the brightly colored carpet, he rolled over wincing. She stood over him, in complete silence. Suddenly they heard a faint voice coming from the room.

"Can someone uncuff me please?" Woody shouted.

Lily and Peter heard the yell for help; they looked at the open door with skepticism.

"Should I uncuff him?" Lily asked, popping a bit of bagel into her mouth.

"No, I don't think that's a great idea, at least Jordan doesn't have a gun." Peter responded. Bug came out of the room with the key to Woody's handcuffs.

"You people disgust me." He said in his thick English brogue. Entering the room "Hello Woody."

"Bug, Bug, I love you, please get me out of these handcuffs." Lily and Peter could only hear silence for a moment... then Woody's voice, amending himself.

"I didn't mean it like that... just get me out of here." Soon the two men appeared, Lily raised an eyebrow at Woody in his boxers, 'he's well built' she thought to herself. She felt someone watching her and glanced up, Bug was looking at her with liquid eyes.

Jordan just stood over Nigel, shaking her head, her arms crossed in front of her flat tummy. Woody's breath caught in his throat when he saw her standing there, her hair down in waves, in her girl boxers and tank top. He stood next to her and looked down at Nigel.

"We are going to get dressed, go talk to Mister Coleman, and discuss this tonight." He grabbed Jordan gently but firmly by the arm and walked her back to the room.

"What are we going to do?" she asked as they walked, passing Lilly and Peter, Woody gave Peter a small kick as he passed them.

They walked into the room and Jordan sat on the bed letting out a grunt.

"Easy, we'll get it annulled." Woody said, a slight hedge to his voice, he reached for the telephone. Jordan jumped for the receiver and clasped her hands over his.

"No." she said firmly, looking up into his eyes.

"Why not?" he shook his head in bewilderment.

"Because..." her voice trailed off, he didn't remember any of it.

"Because... Because... we'll talk about it later just get dressed." She whispered despondently. Curling her knees to her chest, she laid her cheek on her knees as she thought. He thought it was that easy, just get it annulled. What was she thinking, she couldn't be married to Woody, he was Woody... persistent, enduring, happy... the total opposite of her. She felt this longing feeling she had never felt before, like someone had wrapped their grimy hand around her heart and was squeezing as hard as they could.

"Jordan you getting ready?" Woody asked, immerging from the bathroom, fully dressed in his normal suit and god-awful tie, his hair stuck up in places... she stifled a laugh.

"You look like a Furbee." She giggled standing, licking her palm and smoothing out his hair. That longing feeling suddenly disappeared, and a new feeling surfaced.

"You getting dressed?" he repeated, running his hands down her arms.

"No," she said, turning away from him her eyes brimming with tears. "I think I'll stay here today." He looked at her in confusion, this was the first time she had ever not wanted to go with him. His eyes fell to the floor, he stroked her arm once more and walked out the door, she could hear him murmur "I hate this city like a sickness." As the door closed, she smiled a bit sadly, and curled up the bed, letting her tears fall freely, now that no one was around, she could release her emotions, they were like a ball and chain... 'funny' she thought to herself 'I don't remember being chained.


	8. Sweet Misery

Note : I changed the last chapters name from 'the day after next' to 'The hangover you don't deserve.' I thought it was more fitting.

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing Fanfic's if I owned the characters to CJ, that Tim Kring is one lucky bastard... excuse the language.... now you've been disclaimed

Woody sighed as he watched the numbers light up at the top of the glass elevator; it made him nervous looking down, so he swallowed hard and pretended this was the elevator leading him to the morgue, to Jordan. The day had dawned bright and beautiful, the cerulean sky a bonnet behind the smog and grit of the smoldering city. He had been to Vegas once before on his twenty first birthday, he hadn't liked it then, he didn't like it now.

His cell phone squealed out an annoying ring tone, startling him. He fumbled in his pocket for a moment; he got a few aggravated stares from the other bystanders in the elevator. He threw them an apologetic smile and flipped open the cell phone.

"This is Hoyt."

"Hey freckles I'm done with the autopsy." The feminine voice said on the other end.

"Hey Dev, what do you got?"

"Nothing but he was shot with a thirty eight automatic... it wasn't what was in the autopsy report that interested me... I ran his name threw codas and I got a hit, he was arrested in nineteen ninety two for domestic violence, then again in nineteen ninety eight, and again in the year two thousand." She sighed, and wondered at the silence on the other end. "Hey Wood, you okay?" he was startled out of his stillness, he rushed to catch himself.

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine... its just..."

"I know freckles, DV cases are hard."

"yeah." He said with simple conviction, she had know idea. "So what was his girlfriends address?"

"16709 Dorsey drive apartment 412b." he jotted it down before telling her goodbye and hanging up the phone. He felt a familiar pain coming up inside of him, images of his mother so young, bruises covering her face, waking him and brother in the middle of the night to drive, somewhere... anywhere, her sobbing in the front seat as she drove threw the friendless night. He was so young, yet he remembered her light blue cashmere sweater, and the neon headlights cutting threw the inky black night, bits of disturbed pollen hanging in them like dust in the sun. Jordan, his wife, that was weird, he could always picture them together, maybe a family, although it wasn't required, Jordan was enough for any sane man.

Motels were familiar for Woody, two beds and a coffee machine, the story of his life. His mother was fifteen when she was married, it was either get married or go to WYA, Wisconsin Youth Authority for running away one too many times. She was seventeen when she had Woody and when she had Cal; she was the ripe age of nineteen. In his heart he loved his mother, but at times he resented her for everything, for the broken glass and furniture on the floor... for his father's drunken stupors, all the alibi's she wrote, reasons for why she wore sunglasses all the time, and mysterious bruises on her pale face. Often he wondered how they made it threw the living nightmare. But the mind is an amazing place, full of candy dreams and new toys.

But there were groceries to buy and they would always end up having to home, to free herself she only needed the courage to keep moving. The elevator chimed and brought Woody out of his thoughts, he had to gape at the sight of the office all state of the art, very metallic and clean looking, and the chairs were hard and cold.

"How can I help you?" the receptionist asked, he was used to Jordan doing the talking whether he wanted her to or not. He suddenly felt a sudden pang in the bottom of his stomach, it was such a slow process without her here with him, working cases together, whether he admitted it or not, being a detective was a lonely process without her.

"Sir?" she asked, smiling uncomfortably, her white teeth stained slightly with a bit of red lipstick. She tapped her long white fingernails against the cold, iron desk in impatience.

"Oh, sorry, um, I'm looking for Scott Coleman. I'm Detective Hoyt."

"Oh yeah, he's expecting you... third door on the left." She smacked her gum and went back to typing, her fingernails clicking against the keys.

Woody's legs felt numb, his head still pounded, and his mouth was like wool. He felt a little better after three cups of coffee and a red bull; still, it was a bitch of a hangover. He slowly opened the door wincing as the light flooded in.

"Detective Hoyt, pleasure to see you again." The man was sitting at his desk

"Yeah, whatever." Woody replied irritably, sinking into a chair uncomfortably. "Mister Coleman, I need to ask you a few questions, you son's girlfriend did you know about her?"

"She was his wife and yes... I knew about Sheryl, Sheryl and Kelsey, never met them though."

"Whoa... who's Kelsey?"

"His daughter she's five."

Woody jotted it down the name, "Coleman or Hawkins?" he asked.

"Coleman, Hawkins is his stage name."

Kelsey Coleman, he had to find who killed her father, he owed it to her.

"Mister Coleman, what do you do?" Woody asked, taking a sweeping glance of the room.

"I'm a talent scout." He said offhandedly, glancing at a legal pad.

"Do you know who would want to hurt your son?"

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of him in five years Detective Hoyt, you'd do better talking to my wife, she goes to see Kelsey regularly."

"Okay." Woody felt a deep sadness for the little girl, not only was she in the midst of a war between her parents, one of them was gone. These kids came a dime a dozen, and no one seemed to care, but that wasn't true, he cared.

Jordan walked around her room, bored, she wished she had come along with Woody at least she would have something to do besides watching American idol. She sighed and looked out at the city; she and Woody were married, married! She felt all the familiar anxiety rush threw her, he was so close, yet she couldn't run, her feet wouldn't work, plus the bet, if she didn't win it would be a sign of weakness and Jordan Cavanaugh was not weak. But, he didn't remember, so it was kind of like she was using him, she loved Woody, but if she hurt him, or herself she couldn't live with it. She crumpled to the floor in something approaching complete despair. The carpet felt good against her bare legs, as she listened to the sounds of the city.

Tyler, she didn't want to hurt her too, however much Tyler got on Jordan's nerves she couldn't deny that Tyler hadn't done anything wrong. Woody's things scattered the room, it was his room, a old Boston sweatshirt lay lazily on the back of a chair, she walked over to it and slipped it over her head. It smelled like fresh laundry, and soap and vanilla, just like him. She scanned his personal effects, taking slow, careless steps. His toothbrush in the bathroom, she picked up his aftershave and smelled it, taking in the spicy smell remembering the smell of his cheek when they kissed that night in the desert, it was that smell, the smell she smelled when she dreamed. A knock on the door startled her and she jumped.

"You a Jordan Cavanaugh?" the deliveryman asked in a tired brogue.

"Yeah."

"Sign here." He grunted, she signed the slip of paper and he thrust the white box in her hand and walked off his breathing thick.

Slowly she opened the cool white box, flowers. Pink Carnations, her favorite.

'Dinner tonight at tarantella's, to talk about this... situation? Woody.'

She smiled and slowly, slipped out of the room, with her flowers, remembering his sweatshirt that wrapped her in warmth, she took it off and left in on her bed, reminding herself to give it back to him before they got on the plane. She had to decide what to wear. She felt a giddy feeling in her stomach and without warning collapsed on the bed giggling breathlessly like a teenager going out on her first date.


	9. Mirror images of dreams long since faded

Chapter title: mirror images of dreams long since faded

Jordan swerved to a stop in front of the bar, barefooted and clad in only a black spaghetti strap shirt and tight jean Capri's. The cold hardwood floor made her wince, it stuck to her bare feet, it was freezing cold. Jordan had just realized she had absolutely nothing to wear. She searched desperately for Lily, finding her at the bar with Bug and Peter.

"I need you... and you." She said grabbing Peter and Lily's hands, as an afterthought and looking at Bug added. "... You might as well come to." She winked at him flirtatiously.

"What's going on?" Lily asked as she was rushed to the elevator and shoed in.

"I have nothing to wear." She said simply

"So, what you're wearing looks fine." Peter said, looking her over once. Jordan shook her head and mumbled 'pig' under her breath.

"For tonight, I have nothing to wear."

"What's going on tonight?" Bug asked with a slight hedge to his voice. "Something I should have been informed about?"

"No." Jordan stated huffily. "I have nothing to wear; Woody's taking me out to dinner to talk about this mess all of you made." Jordan looked pointedly at all three of them, Lily blanched, shamefaced.

"Whoa, that is an occasion; your husband is taking you out to dinner." Peter retorted sarcastically.

"He is not my husband!" Jordan shouted flicking him in the middle of the forehead with force; he rubbed the red mark that surfaced on his head.

"Really?" Lily asked raising an eyebrow. "I know you remember are bet, he has to be for three weeks." Jordan suddenly filled with anger, and shame. While Woody had no recollection of that night, Jordan did, but she never backed down from a challenge, it wasn't in her nature.

Just before tears spilled down her face, the doors parted, and she was walking quickly down the spacious hallway, Lily struggling to catch up the thin figure walking hastily down the hall.

"Jordan!" tears spilled down her face as she picked up speed, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort, "Jordan!" Lily's voice came again, stopping her in her tracks, she whirled around.

"He doesn't remember a damned thing! I'm going to hurt him... and I can't stop myself!!"

she slid to the floor, holding on to her ankles and bringing her knees to herself, as if shielding her self from the cold, world. Hiding from that ten year old girl, wandering in a world that had no place for motherless children, hiding from a blue eyed Detective that haunted her dreams, often she found herself wondering if he was real, wishing that somehow this life was a dream and she'd wake up, safe in bed, and her mother would be fine, and she'd come in and tell her everything would be okay and that everything was still safe and warm. She couldn't shake the fact that it wasn't a dream. She felt her head being lifted, and Lily sliding underneath her, till Jordan's head rested in her lap, and lily stroked her hair and told her that Woody would never leave her, it wasn't possible... none of them were leaving, not Woody or Garret, Bug or Nigel or Peter, and most of all not herself. She could trust them. Jordan just sobbed into Lily's pant legs, soaking them through.

Woody gazed at the house, more of a shack really, toys strewed the barren yard, and the periwinkle paint was chipped, the stairs we're rickety and weak. Far off, a dog barked and someone honked a horn. He knocked, trying in vain to swallow the lump that had gathered in his throat. Pain like this was tangible, real, he could almost hold it in is hand. Often it almost seemed the recollection of it was worse than the experience, at least the experience ended.

A young woman answered, she was dressed in a purple uniform.

"May I help you?" she asked politely

"Yes ma'am I'm Detective Woody Hoyt." He caught himself before he could say 'and this is Jordan Cavanaugh from the Medical Examiner's Office.' Her eyes grew wide before she broadened the doorway to allow him to come in. The house was relatively clean, besides a few dishes in the sink and some toys on the floor; the carpet was tan and vacuumed. It reminded him of his house on Kensington Avenue in Kewaunee, all sweet smelling, small but clean and safe. His mom had just gotten a job as a waitress, Woody and Cal we're in school, and for the first time in their lives things we're going right.

And then he was back. Willing to reconcile, Woody tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen, she was convinced that her boys needed their father. And that was when it happened, Woody had come home late, he had been at his friend Billy's house watching T.V. Woody's mom had just gotten off of work, and it was raining so hard... Woody's father had his mother in his grip, pinning her against the white wall, blood pouring from her nose, the soft underbelly of her eyes we're dark and purple. Her blue eyes stared blankly at the ceiling as her breath was being choked from her throat, his hands tightening around her pale neck, he was so large, and he didn't even need both hands. Woody didn't know what she did to bring this on in him, but he knew it wasn't much. That's when he picked up the baseball bat...

"Detective?!" the woman raised her hand in front of his hand blankly.

"Sorry."

"That's okay, would you like a cup of coffee?" she offered, already pulling out a mug for him.

He hesitated, remembering the last thing time he had taken a beverage from a witness. "No thanks." He said with a hedge in his voice.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess your here about Tommy, Colleen called me last night."

"Yes ma'am, did your husband have any enemy's?"

"Besides me... no, he only ever hit me."

"Did... he... ever, hit your daughter?" Woody said softly, gauging her reaction by cocking his head slightly.

"you listen to me, HE NEVER TOUCHED KELSEY! If he did I would have kicked his ass out." It amazed Woody that this woman was still defending her husband. "anyways he was cleaning himself up... he only ever hit me when he was drunk and he was going to AA, he was taking Kelsey to her band practice... she plays the flute.... She's not great at it though." She said proudly... after a moment she whispered "we were finally going to be a family again." And suddenly tears filled her eyes. "But then I found out about... about... about that freak social worker, his name is Carlson, if anyone killed my husband it was him." She stated matter- of- factly.

"Why?"

"I caught him, he hadn't done anything, I caught him before he could hurt her... and he threatened me... My husband was going to tell him, I couldn't... he told me if I did, he would take away my food stamps, my allotment, I got a DUI when I was eighteen, if he told them I would have Kelsey taken away." Woody's breath caught in his throat. He stood, and shook the woman's hand.

"I promise I'm going to find who did this, they'll pay." He tipped his head respectfully as she opened the door for him, he almost ran smack into a small child, long honey colored hair, and bright blue eyes... he had to help her, if it was the last thing he did. In the meantime, he had to go get changed, he had a date with Jordan.


	10. Crash and burn

Note: forgive me if it's a bit unbelievable, I writing this as I go along and I have no clue myself how its going to end. P.S. I wanna know what you guys think! Please, please review I so totally love them

Disclaimer: I do not own Crossing Jordan, though I wish I did. Oh, and I don't own Crash and burn by Savage Garden, though it is a great song.

"She looks kind of like a Drag Queen when she walks in those." Bug commented pointing to the black stiletto heels Jordan was trying on in the department store, stumbling awkwardly as she did.

"She kinda looks like a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time." Lily corrected, taking a long sip of water. Peter laughed as Jordan stumbled, she glared but held out her arms for balance as she got used to the wobbly supports.

"Will you people shut up?!" Jordan snapped, crumpling to a chair, breathing hard. Lily handed her the cool bottle of water and she gulped the clean, cool water down eagerly.

"So, you like your new outfit Mrs. Hoyt!" Peter teased as Nigel came up to them with bags of food, Jordan had already forgiven her Nigel, but decided to get a meal out of it first, and she kicked Peter playfully.

"Okay, a double cheeseburger with light Mayo no onions or lettuce for Jordan... Hamburger extra pickle for Lily. Veggie Burger for Bug and a Chicken Salad for Peter." He said looking at Jordan with hesitance before handing her burger to her, her hand lingered on his and she smiled, he breathed out in relief. "So how do you like your dress Love?" he asked with vigor.

"It's nice." She took a sweeping glance at herself in the mirror, the tight black dress that fell just short of her knees; it was strapless and left her arms bare revealing small freckles dotting her collarbone, a cheap diamond choker, the gold chain resting on the bones at the base of her neck and the small glass jewels resting in-between them.

Suddenly feeling a giddy sensation in her stomach stood, grinning, and twirled once. "How do I look?" she asked. 'Glowing.' Nigel thought and grinned back, he had never seen this glimmering look on her face, she was actually happy, the dark circles that had plagued the soft underbelly of her eyes we're no longer there, her eyes fairly sparkled. Suddenly he knew he had done the right thing, he had overlooked his own crush on the commitment-phobic Jordan and done what was right for her... he grinned looking at her in her simple yet fancy dress, her black strappy shoes with little rhinestones, her necklace that accentuated her long neck, her dark hair in waves, draped over her shoulders.

"Simply ravishing Love." He said his voice catching; Lily looked to Nigel as he watched Jordan pick up her purse, giving a low bow and flashing a smile. His eyes fixed on her face, studying her face... 'God if he breaks her heart I'll brake his neck.' He thought to himself.

"Wish me luck?" she asked happily to her best friends, and realized that there was one person who wasn't there, someone she missed totally.

"Luck." They all said in unison, and noticed her face fall a bit.

"What is it love?" Nigel asked frantically

"Can I talk to Garret?" Lily flinched

"I'm not sure that's the best idea Jo." She said softly, attempting to shoe her away quickly.

"Why n... OH MY GOD YOU DIDN'T TELL HIM!" she looked from Lily to Peter in shock.

"Not quite, we will tonight though I promise Jo, now go." Peter promised shoving her out the door of the department store. She never heard the 'oh thank god we dodged that bullet' come sarcastically from Lily's lips.

Woody looked at his watch nervously and rubbed his hand threw his hair. She was making an appearance, Woody tried to console himself... 'yeah that's it don't worry.' He thought as he fidgeted with a napkin, tearing it into a million pieces. He had already torn three up, and had made his waitress's life miserable when she saw the small white paper/fabric strewn on the ground underneath him.

Then he saw her. His breath caught in his throat, she was wearing something so simple yet so elegant, she looked like a lady, 'no' he corrected, 'she was a lady... in everyway, even if she pretended she wasn't' He smiled and saw a familiar gleam enter her eyes, she was smiling, a wide smile that showed every perfect tooth, he loved it.

'oh' Jordan thought, 'that smile could melt the sun', she shot him a look as he pulled out her chair with a flourish, but found herself actually enjoying it, everyone enjoyed being doted on once in a while right?

"Hey." Was all she could manage, swallowing the rising lump in her throat.

"Hey." He whispered right back, neither one of them moved, just stared at each other watching the soft candlelight glow off of each others face, casting dim shadows. "I was scared you weren't coming." He said softly, finally sitting.

"Why wouldn't I?" Jordan asked a bit defensive

"Its just Jordan... you run... and I'm scared that you would run from me..." he said softly.

"I couldn't run from you Woody... I love you." She said it before she could stop herself, Woody whom had taken a large sip of water at that point sprayed it out unceremoniously, trying in vain to keep his composure, began wiping it away from the chest of his dress shirt.

"What was that?" he asked nervously.

She was speechless, she had shocked herself.

"I think we could really make a go of it." She whispered, not taking her eyes off of him... she wasn't sure of what she was saying, the fact was she was deadened and frozen like a deer caught in headlights, just staring into his blue eyes. Suddenly he stood, smiling like a crazy fool.

She immediately saw where he was going. "No Woody." She said firmly, she was putting her foot down; he slipped two quarters into the jukebox and smiled.

"Shut up Jordan."

"Excuse me." She bit out in a mock angry tone, despite herself, she laughed.

"Shut up and dance with me... for old times." He pleaded holding out his hand. She stared at it for a minute, it looked inviting, yet something told her to run, it wasn't safe, he would leave her like her mother, father, and everyone else, yet her legs wouldn't move, because... He wasn't like Tyler or any of her other boyfriends, he actually cared, and was and would always be her friend, first and foremost.

She sighed in resignation , throwing her napkin down, she stood and walked over to him on wobbly legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist, clasping his hands at the small of her back, she smiled, draping her arms around his neck tightly, she rested her cheek against his shoulder... and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the song, its sweet melody twisting threw her mind, dancing around dizzily, making her hazy with a new feeling as they rocked silently. She could smell him, all of those smells that we're him... Fresh laundry, Soap, Aftershave and Vanilla, all of those smells locked into one man, one insignificant, small town cop that made her weak in the knees and caused her heart to swell, she smiled and swayed along with him, his arms anchoring her tightly.

When you feel all alone

And the world has turned its back on you

Give me a moment please

To tame your wild, wild heart

I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you

Its hard to find relief and people can be so cold

When darkness is apoun your door and you feel like you can't take anymore

Let me be the one you call

if you jump I will break you fall

lift you up and fly away with you into the night

If you need to fall apart

I can mend a broken heart

If you need to Crash and Burn your not alone.

When you feel all alone

And a loyal friend is hard to find

You're caught in a one way street

With the mosters in your head

When hopes and dreams are far away

And you feel like you can't face the day

Let me be the one you call

If you jump I'll break your fall

Lift you up and fly away with you into the night

If you need to fall apart

I can mend a broken heart

If you need to Crash and Burn

You're not alone

Because there has always been heartache and pain

And when its over you'll breathe again

You'll breathe again

When you feel all alone

And the world has turned its back on you

Give me a moment please

To tame your wild, wild heart.

Let me be the one you call

If you jump I will break your fall

Lift you up and fly away with you into the night

If you need to fall apart

I can mend a broken heart

If you need to crash and burn

You're not alone.

"Shh, Will you shut up!" Lily snorted, smacking Peter on the head with the palm of your hand as He, Bug and Nigel leaned in to hear the voice on the other end of the cell phone.

"Macy." A tired voice came on the other end, all listless like.

"Hey." Lily said softly, his voice immediately brightened

"Hey Lil, how's Vegas, has Jordan killed anyone yet?"

"Not counting Woody." She half joked with a grim expression and a lame tone. He chuckled

"I'm wondering how their not married by now." Lily put her hand up to the receiver and bit her lip as the men behind her stifled laughs, they we're on the floor red as cherries.

"Uh, that's what I'm calling about... they got married... Surprise!" she shouted cheerfully, jumping up once in faked enthusiasm. Silence for a long moment ensued as everyone waited for his reaction.

She leaned over to Bug and whispered "I wonder if he died." Just as she did she heard shouting on the other end, something about ulcers and divorces... she waited till it died down before saying a quick gotta go Garret, and hanging up quickly. She turned to the men standing behind her... "Well boys, I could use a drink, since when we get back to Boston we will all be looking for new jobs." She smiled and walked confidently to the bar. Leaving the men breathlessly laughing behind her


	11. intermingled and entwined

Jordan leaned back in the chair, wrapped up in her lilac silk bathrobe, her hair hung in wet clumps down her back, soaking the fabric of the chair behind her, what had made her do this to him? What was going threw her mind the night before? She remembered everything, every smell, every shadow... it was like she was in a dream, and she floated home on a cloud. She also knew in her heart what it would be like for them if they stayed together, she already pushed a fine line between them, constantly testing him, and if they we're together it would be twenty four seven, something told her that he couldn't handle that he would find out she wasn't the one and go running.

He was still asleep, she had to admit he was the cutest unconscious person in the world, he snored and she bit back a full throated laugh, he was one of the hardest sleepers she had ever seen. She stared out of the window absentmindedly, curling a long black strand of hair around her finger and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin. She had been up since three thirty in the morning, made her coffee and collapsed in the shower, just thinking as the water rushed over her condemning her for her thoughts.

Know as she sat in the chair, stale coffee on the cheap table, her clothes and his intermingled and entwined on the floor. She could hear people outside splashing in the hotel pool; it was almost seven in the morning and outside it was sweltering. Woody rolled over and looked up at her, his silly grin causing a unwanted smile to creep up her face, she fought to swallow it. Like a revelation from the stars themselves he saw the redness in her eyes, he shot up.

"You were crying... no, no, no... no crying, be happy." He said his last line in a goofy way trying in vain to put a grin on her face.

"Woody..." her voice trailed off; just as she opened her mouth again he cut her off in a serious voice.

"No Jordan. No." he looked deep into her eyes, his hair mussed, his eyes crusted with sleep, tears fell down her face as she smiled, wiping away the sleep lightly with her soft fingertip. He smiled "you're crying..." he started off and she chuckled sadly. "And laughing?" he smiled and said right before he caught her lips in his possessively. "Positively the most confused woman I ever met." He smiled, and stood, the morning light casting shadows across his face, his blue eyes glinting with energy. "Want some cereal?" picking up the receiver of the phone. She nodded and watched him dial room service.

Woody felt her eyes on him, burning at his back, he had done his best to lighten the mood, he knew she was confused and scared, he saw the shine of unshed tears in her whiskey colored eyes. He wished he could console her, but the truth was he was just as confused and alone as she was.

It had seemed so long ago since he had left Kewaunee, to him there was no other choice, he had one choice, get aboard the airplane, and never look back. That day his mother was attacked by his father was a vague snapshot in his mind, a blur of emotions that racked his body with fear if he even thought of it. The look on his mothers face was so sorrowful, so scared, never before had she looked as young as she slid to the ground, kicking her husband away as she did. Then, he moaned, Woody was stunned, his father lay on the floor his head bleeding from the gash on the back of his neck where the blow of the cold metal baseball bat had scratched his white skin.

His mother was talking crazy, tears falling down her face as she gathered clothing and pictures, loading suitcases as Woody's father lay moaning on the floor. She pushed Woody out the door, with one more glance behind her she slammed the door, not only the door to the house but the door to her fragile heart. A heart that had been crumpled and torn apart once too many, finally after seven years the human punching bag fought back.

They picked Cal up in her old Dodge truck and drove, drove until they found Kewaunee.... Three hours from Milwaukee, and far away from the small town of Winchester Illinois, the people we're nice, his mom got a job in a local diner on main street before her bruises healed, they we're home.

"Woody are you okay." Jordan asked a little panicky, her voice catching.

"Yeah I'm fine, come on, I have to get dressed, you coming?" he held out his hand and held his breath, after a long, silent moment she took it, and he breathed again.

"Although what your wearing looks terrific." He commented, wiping her hair from her face. She smiled and leaned her head onto his shoulder for comfort.

"I'm hardly wearing anything." She said softly, looking at her thread bare robe.

"I know." He teased.

"Hi I'm Detective Hoyt, this is Jordan Cavanaugh with the medical examiner's office, I'm here to see Tony Carlson, social worker here." He told the woman at the front desk of the welfare office, she went into the back office, her eyes wary, soon a man immerged from behind a steel door, he was tall, broad and muscular, his eyes sharp and black, almost deadlike to match his dull greasy brown hair.

"How may I help you Detective?" the man asked

"Yeah you Tony Carlson?" Woody asked in a defensive tone she had never heard before.

"Yes, may I help you?" the man retorted sharply, Jordan thought it best to intervene, she could see heat rise into Woody's eyes.

"Yes, you we're the case worker for Sheryl and Kelsey Coleman right?" she asked, looking pointedly at Woody who was getting red faced, the first word that came to her mind was livid.

"Yes, cute kid." He said off handedly, Woody lunged in anger.

"Cute kid huh!" he shouted "You disgusting freak why don't you tell what you did to Kelsey!" Jordan pulled him back, he was strong, to strong for her, but her touch seemed to have a calming affect on him, he wiped his hand across his face and settled back behind Jordan, she stared at him piercingly before turning back to the stunned Carlson.

"We've heard things about you, we need to clear up... we know that you tried to..." her voice trailed off, it was taking every once of self control in her body not to attack this guy herself, her hands shook and Woody saw it. "We know that Sheryl Coleman caught you."

The man scoffed haughtily "That bitch doesn't know what she's saying, drunk half the time... she'd give it up for a Big Mac... most girls that I deal with would, nothing that she says will hold up in court."

Woody clenched his fists, Jordan saw that each second she was getting closer and closer to Armageddon and Woody would win, this guy may be twice the size of Woody but Woody was a brick house.

"Where were you on Thursday, October 5th?" Jordan asked with a wicked smile.

"At home, here with my wife." He said, staring at Woody and smiling coldly.

"Then why did you get on a plane to Boston on the fourth?" Woody asked returning the cold smile. The man was speechless as Woody smacked the gum enthusiastically, holding up a plastic bag, the contents a plane ticket.

"I... I think I need a lawyer." He said, sweat beginning to drip down his pale face.

"Damned straight, you'll defiantly need one when your fingerprints match the ones we found on Tommy Hawkins's wallet." Woody thrust the man against the wall violently.

"All you have is circumstantial," the man countered and winced at the feeling of the handcuffs being tightened against his flesh.

"I'm sure you remember Carmen Jones, Tonya Sanchez, Sarah Marvitch... just some of the girls willing to testify against Mr. Carlson." Woody flipped him around to face him, to look into his eyes. "All of them we're so scared to tell, you're like a God to these women, you have the right to take away everything, their food, their houses, even their children, and you were so sure of yourself..."

"Who cares?!" the man said a stony expression on his face. "These kids aren't cared for..." he snickered and looked Woody in the eyes. "I'm sure you think of them all the time, when you're sitting in your house, drinking your imported coffee, sleeping in your feather bed..."

"Actually I do." Woody shouted, shoving the man into one of the Vegas PD's black and white's. "Get him out of my sight."

Jordan found Woody sitting with his feet in the empty pool, shoes and a bottle of beer resting at his side, the clear water reflecting off of his face. The stars were blinking calmly in the inky night, it was humid and sultry, and the wind was dry and arid. He didn't hear her come up, she slipped off her sandels and wrapped her hand over his eyes, she felt him jump, startled.

"Hey Jordan," he said despondently, distracted.

"I thought you would be happy, you caught the bad guy." She smiled and punched him in the arm lightly.

"I..." he couldn't finish his sentence, he had his head down and his eyes diverted from hers.

"What? Woody, why is this case getting to you? You've never gotten this emotional on a case."

"My mom, was seventeen when she had me." He said softly, looking up at the multitude of stars that graced the dark sky, the blue moon hidden behind some rouge clouds, all so unfamiliar and unwelcoming, it was the same moon over Boston, the same moon over Kewaunee, so friendless and lonely.

"Wow, that's young." She whispered entranced, slipping her feet past the filmy, flat surface of the undisturbed water.

"Leah Hoyt case number 6654890." He said as if the number were sacred, something foreign that had never passed threw his lips, she was beginning to see the burns of his childhood that had been hidden for so long, rising to the surface of his blue eyes.

"Your Father ever forget to feed you? Because he was too, drunk, or tired?" he asked bitterly.

"Woody... I'm..." before she could finish he had caught her lips to his, taking them for his own. She could feel her breath go out of her as she and he fell together into the water breathlessly laughing, soaking wet, chest deep in cool water, smiling and steeling kisses, they failed to notice the four figures standing on the third floor balcony... smiling in relief and happiness.

Lily turned to Nigel with a soft smile. "Looks like you plan worked Nige, good job."

"Yeah." He said softly, "Looks like it did."


	12. Hotel Paper

Bug was leaning against the railing of the balcony, allowing the cold metal to chill his hands, as if to assure himself he felt, that this world was real, that she was real. She was inside, with Nigel and Peter, laughing at what ever corky thing that happened in whatever TV show that they we're watching. He smiled, watching the way her hair moved N'sync of the breeze that wafted threw the open sliding glass door. She was dressed in her lime green pajama's her hair falling in waves down her shoulders; bright blue fuzzy slippers graced her tiny feet. He turned to look at the sky, the diamond shaped stars that adorned the heavens, telling their stories but never their secrets.

"Hey Bug? What are you doing out here, we're watching Friends."

"Nothing," he said softly, looking pointedly at the pool where Jordan and Woody were making out, up to their shoulders in clear water, Woody had his eyes closed, as if he was in a trance and he couldn't wake up.

"Sweet huh?" she said, nodding her head towards the happy couple.

"Sweet wasn't the word I had in mind, more like gross." He said sarcastically, smiling to let her know he was kidding. She smiled back and ruffled his hair good naturedly, leaning into him.

"Bug you ever wonder what would happen if Tyler hadn't left... and Jordan and Woody hadn't gotten together?" she asked, watching as Jordan playfully pushed Woody backwards into the water.

"I know what would have happened, Jordan would continuously eat, Woody would forever be depressed, and we'd all end up on those cold slabs down at our morgue." He bit out as Lily giggled.

Lily looked at him in a new light suddenly, he wasn't just a friend, a person she could go to for anything and he would be there, her friend till the end. He was a human being, with thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams, a guy trying to find his place, just like her.

"Hey Bug, you wanna go for a walk?" she asked timidly, holding out her hand and smiling softly.

Woody and Jordan we're fully clothed as they swam, but they didn't care, because the only thing they knew was each other, nothing else mattered. Now as they made there way down the hall, sopping wet and laughing. Woody fumbled for the key to the room, slipping his hands inside his dripping pockets. Jordan leaned against the wall as he slammed his head against the wall dramatically.

"It seems I forgot my wallet at the pool he whispered, stroking her hair and leaning close to her, she smiled and rested her forehead against his.

"You better hurry then detective!" she said in a sweet voice, pushing him away, his smile grew a bit before he jogged to the elevator, pressing the little button feverishly. "You know once that little light goes on you're good." She said sarcastically, smirking.

He nodded and stepped inside of the elevator, disappearing behind the thick metal doors. Jordan shook her head affectionately at him as she turned away, seeing Peter coming down the hall.

"Hey, saw you guys making out in the pool." He stated, leaning against the white wall. "Hot."

"Funny." She said, flicking him in the head again.

"Ow, why is it always the head with you people?" He said, rubbing his forehead.

"So where is Don Juan?" he asked glancing around the hallway.

"He left his wallet down at the pool." He smiled, cocking his head to look at her. She caught him looking at her and smacked his head with the palm of her hand.

"What?"

"You're in Love aren't you?" he said accusingly, pointing a finger at her.

"I am not in love." She guffawed, but he saw the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Yes you are!" he shouted, once more stabbing a finger at her, jumping back in triumph.

"Will you keep it down." She demanded, in there playful argument, they failed to hear the chime of the elevator.

"So... you going to tell him about the bet yet?" Peter asked in a voice, lacking to see the figure behind them.

"He can't find out that I married him on a bet, I can't do that to him.... Peter..." she said slowly as if talking to a tiresome child. "He... can... never... find out."

"Well he just did," a voice said softly behind them, Jordan whirled around in panic, praying that wasn't who she thought it was. It was. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. He looked so hurt, his eyes filled with a new pain, not like the pain she had seen just an hour before sitting by that pool... a pain she new well, being betrayed by the one person you love the most.

"Woody..." she said her voice breaking.

"Save it Jordan..." he snapped, slipping the room key in the lock, to his dismay, it didn't open. He tried it again more forcefully, still the door didn't budge.

"You're putting it in backwards..." Jordan said in a soft voice, putting her hand on his arm gently, she could feel him tense beneath her touch.

"I know," he said coolly, and turned the card around, magically the door parted from its frame. He turned, giving her a cold look and slammed the door tiredly, what she didn't see was him collapsing to the floor as soon as it shut, rubbing his eyes with the ball of his hand, feeling some pain that he had never felt before well up inside of him. Just sitting in the dark, just staring off, the pain so deep he couldn't even cry.

Jordan stood stunned in the doorway, opening her mouth to speak, yet nothing would come, so she shut it again, looking to Peter with distain, he slowly backed up, she bore into him with dark eyes, beginning to walk, slow, yet full of purpose.

"Jordan...I..." he turned on his heels and darted away, walking quickly into Nigel's room, Nigel sat alone on the bed, his face caught when he saw Peter duck behind the bed, and then his expression turned to shock when he saw Jordan, sopping wet walk into his room, her head lowered in purpose. Peter jumped back when Jordan walked up to him, but to both Peter and Nigel surprise, she walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

"What happened?" Nigel yelled, Peter struggled to catch his breath as he started.

"Man I'm telling you not pretty...like world war three out there..." before he could finish, Jordan was out of the bathroom, bolting out the door, and tackling him down to the bed, straddling him, placing a pillow of his head.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!" she screamed, blinded by her tears, all she could feel was someone hauling her back, their strong arm around her, Soaked with her tears.

"LOVE, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO." Nigel wrapped her into a warm hug, allowing her to pour her grief out on his leather jacket, his shoulder, she limply dropped the pillow. Peter sat up, straightening himself, catching his breath and wiping a arm across his nose and mouth.

"Looks like you master plan backfired there chief." Nigel just glared, and rubbed soft circles into Jordan's back.


	13. unfamiliar and unknown

Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt, we're no longer Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt the next morning by seven thirty, Woody was silent as he signed the papers, Jordan watched his icy blue eyes, they never looked at her or her name the entire time. Lily silently held Bugs hand and looked at her two friends with sad eyes, she had high hopes for her and Bug, but she had higher hopes for Jordan and Woody. Nigel stood with his head hung in shame, when Woody gave him a sharp look he shrugged his shoulders, Peter looked worst of all, his eyes diverted from everyone, word spread fast and he was given the cold shoulder by most of crew. As everyone drove silently down to the airport, Peter stared at Jordan who sat next to him, her eyes glazed over, the silence in the car screaming in her ear.

"Jordan?" he said, his voice strained, he tried to get her to look at him, but she just stared into the back of Nigel's head as he drove on.

"What do you want Peter?" she asked coldly, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispered softly, "I didn't know he was behind me, I swear, please let me try and make it right."

Jordan looked at Peter as if for the first time, he was wearing the same clothes as the night before, he looked unshaven and sad, and she gave a loud sigh, her shoulders sagging a bit. "I know it's not your fault Pete." That did nothing to ease the pain he felt, but he was relieved to an extent. Lily shared a look with Nigel; Woody was driving the other car, along with Bug, they weren't far ahead, they could see the back of Woody's head.

When they found the airport, it was packed, people of every color and size meeting for a short time in one big building, before boarding giant metal birds to take them away to wherever they were going, or as in Jordan's case, returning. Woody was in front of her, his eyes fixed ahead of him, he looked distant and almost dead inside. Once she even tried to talk to him.

"Woody." She grabbed his arm, feeling it tense, she quickly stepped back, afraid, for the first time, of what he might do.

"Yeah." He stopped; Lily saw the interaction, quickly pulling Bug and Nigel with her behind a phone booth.

"Their talking." She whispered entranced

"Bloody hell, this doesn't look good." Nigel commented

"Thanks Nigel, but we don't need the running commentary." Lily pointed out, as Woody stormed off, they quickly ran to catch Jordan, practically throwing their tickets at the stewardess before running down the terminal.

"What happened?" Lily pulled Jordan's arm so she'd turn to face them.

Jordan stared blankly at her for a minute, her dark eyes fixed somewhere in the wall, as if she thought that if she stared long enough the pain would disappear.

"He said, he's done." She said softly, tears pouring down her white cheeks.

"Done?" Lily inquired, putting an arm around Jordan, looking to Nigel, Bug and Peter who stood around them with white faces.

"He said, he's done waiting, and he's moving on." She collapsed into Lily as they walked to the plane in silence, Nigel, Bug and Peter also coming to stand next to her for moral support.

Woody and Jordan sat separately, Nigel had traded with him. Now she leaned against his leather jacket, taking in the earthy, rich smell that's only leather. She had told Lily what he had said.

_"I'm done Jordan, with everything, the waiting, constantly being brushed off. You know... when I finally think I've gotten threw to you, I find out you haven't changed one bit...I'm going to get on this plane, and when we get off in Boston I'm going to pretend none of this ever happened, I'm moving on Jo, because you can't lose something you never had."_

His words still roared in her ears, they weren't as hurtful as they were a wake up call, like being splashed in the face with cold water. He wasn't going to wait around forever, he was a good looking guy, and he could probably have any woman in the world. She remembered how women would look at him when he was at the Pouge or out dancing with her and the gang, how he would brush them off and only be with her, he only wanted her. Then Tyler, and it had all come back to her, Tyler was pretty, smart, funny, and she had a lot less emotional baggage, yet he was willing to drop her like a hat to be with Jordan Cavanaugh, a messed up, stubborn, medical examiner that had almost gotten him fired like six times...

She felt a migraine coming on, bringing her fingers to her temples and rubbing clockwise circles into her soft skin. Nigel who had been sleeping, stirred softly, looking at her.

"You alright love?" he asked in a concerned voice, stroking her hair softly.

"Uh, yeah, I will be." She said, looking out the window, he looked at her as if he wanted to say more, but he only sighed, and ran a hand down her arm, wanting to do more, but all he could do was sigh.

Woody, looked remarkably well, he was playing peek-a-boo with a little girl in the seat in front of him, he would duck his head behind the seat, and she would giggle. But his eyes seemed far off, and glazed over, he hadn't eaten that anyone had seen, and when offered food refused.

Jordan closed her eyes and willed the pain in her heart, a pain she recognized but hadn't felt since she was ten years old, a searing, stabbing feeling in her gut that rendered her paralyzed.

Lily sat nest to Bug, slumped in her seat, her eyes closed, she snored softly. Bug who had been reading, glanced over and smiled, brushing a stubborn bang from her hair, she stirred softly, and sunk into her chair more, leaning into him. He leaned over softly and kissed her forehead, she smiled softly before burrowing her head into his arm.

It was just how Woody said, the second they got off the plane, it was just as if nothing happened, he even talked with her a few times, given it was not long. But she noticed the shine in his happy-go-lucky eyes was gone, when she asked Annie Capra if he was there, he would always be there, working late or helping out on other detective's cases, she never once got a call from him. When she went to the Pouge, he wasn't there; it was like they were two ships passing at sea. Garret had reamed her out about getting married to Woody, 'that was very unprofessional of you Jordan!' he had said, but in the end, had forgiven her, noticing the pain in her eyes at the mention of his name.

Bug and Lily were dating, it was announced that they were seeing each other when Bug showed up at the morgue with roses for Lily, she had gladly accepted.

Woody pushed Jordan out of his mind, hoping to forget her honey eyes, the way they used to dance, their playful banter at the Pouge. He was going out with Tyler again, they hardly ever saw each other, and when they did it was a strained meeting, especially for him. Woody was looking over his case, a young woman beaten in Logan alley, no fingerprints, no hairs, not so much as footprint. He sighed, looking around his desk, littered with paper and stale coffee cups, a day old bag of chips. It was dark, all except his lamp that sat precariously on top of a stack of files. Everyone else had gone home, Eddie Winslow had tried to talk him into going home, he declined. Home was Jordan, that was the truth, the longer he stayed at work the more he could push her to the edge of his mind. until one day he could push her off, and he would forget her, but never forgive.

He heard footsteps behind him and whirled around in his swivel chair, Detective Annie Capra laughed at the sight of him in the dim light. His dress shirt was rolled up to his elbows, his jacket hung limply over the back of his chair, a pen jammed behind his ear, he looked tired, dark circles claimed the bottom of his eyes, his smile had long since seized to show itself. He glanced down at his watch, rubbing a hand threw his greasy hair.

"Jesus Christ Ann, you scared the hell out of me, I didn't think anyone was here." He exclaimed

"I had to pick up the Jacobs file, you look tired Hoyt." She said, taking a seat on a empty corner of his desk. "Go home."

"Go home, I'm just getting started." He joked tiredly.

"Uh-huh, that's why you slept here last night, and the night before, go home, get some sleep, come back tomorrow." He shook his head obstinately, leaning over his file with determined eyes, chewing his fingernail with vigor.

"You know killing yourself won't bring her back." She said softly, tilting her head slightly. He froze, his eyes falling.

"I don't know what in the hell your talking about." He said dully.

She opened the top file drawer and pulled out a picture frame, holding the picture in her hand, it was Jordan and Woody at the park, he remembered that day well. They we're eating ice cream, Lily was in the background, holding a hand in front of her face. Jordan looked so happy, in her gray sweatshirt with 'Boston University' written on the front in pink letters, her black form fitting jeans and sneakers, Woody was in his gray t-shirt with a unbuttoned over shirt on, and jeans. She smiled and set in down in front of him on the desk.

"You two are both being stupid and stubborn." She said, before getting up, grabbing a file off of her desk, and walked off, without so much as a glance behind her.

He wasn't sure how long he had been there, just staring at the picture, a moment of time caught forever in a small frame. But the next thing he remembered was getting up and wandering out of the precinct, knowing where he was going, not wanting to go, but not being able to stop himself.

When he reached the morgue, Garret was the only one there. He was leaning in his chair, his feet propped on his desk, listening to his record player. Woody knocked softly on the doorframe.

"Hey, Detective Hoyt come in, what brings you here." He said, eyeing Woody suspiciously, he hadn't talked much to Woody or Jordan since they returned from Vegas, all he knew was they were both hurting.

"Yeah, is Jordan here?" Woody asked softly, Jordan rolled off his tongue like something he had never spoken before, something unfamiliar and unknown.

"She went home about..." he glanced down at his watch which read 1:34. "Six hours ago." He said softly. Something in Woody's face fell.

"Well do you mind if I leave something in her office?" he asked, not moving from the doorway, keeping himself distanced from the chief M.E.

"As long as it isn't a bomb or a human head, knock yourself out." Garret half joked, watching as the detective walked slowly down the darkened corridor. "Boy the kid doesn't have a clue." He said after the cop was out of hearing distance.

While Woody was furious with Jordan, he knew that without her there was no reason to stay in Boston, that was why that morning at eight thirty exactly, he asked to be transferred, anywhere, as long as he would be away from the familiar sights and sounds of Boston, and to be away from her. His hand paused on the doorknob, cold and heavy, the chill of the metal burned his hand, slowly, he turned, it opened with a creak, startling him.

Her office hadn't changed in the two weeks since they had returned, a new plant graced her desk, he had to smile when she once told him she couldn't even keep a plant alive, let alone a relationship. The baby fern looked alive and well to him.

Slowly, he pulled the picture out of his pocket, smoothing out the edges, he set it on the desk and scribbled 'To remember better times.' On the back, with one more look around the office, committing the smells, and the sights to memory, he turned and walked out.


	14. Anywhere you go

Woody sat frozen in his chair, his eyes shielded from the glare of the sun. a few files lay disgarded on his empty desk, his computer turned off. A few boxes sat at his feet, he was done packing, but somehow couldn't move.

"Good luck Hoyt." A uniform said as he walked by, slapping Woody on the back.

"Thanks Charlie, give my regards to the Mrs."

"Will do." Woody sighed, feeling like he had swallowed a wrecking ball. In twelve hours he would be on a plane to Philadelphia. While he loved Boston, the smells, the sights, the diversity in cultures, he knew he couldn't stay.

"So you're leaving?" Annie whispered behind him, he whirled around.

"Second time in two days you scared me like that...your going to wind up getting shot." He joked, smiling, he and Annie had become good friends, she was one person he was going to miss.

"Not by you, Mister look before you leap." She teased, sitting in the same spot she had occupied not to long ago. "How you holding up partner?" she asked, playing with the tips of his hair.

"Pretty good, I need to go to my apartment, get a few hours sleep before I head to the morgue and say my goodbyes there..." his voice trailed off, he had prolonged his visit to the morgue, in hopes to miss Jordan. Truth was, since yesterday he had gotten more calls to the morgue than he had ever. Annie, Eddie, almost the entire precinct kept sending him for their files, prelim reports, autopsy reports and the like, but never once did he see Jordan.

"your luck sucks Hoyt, might as well say your goodbye's now, I need you to pick up some Autopsy reports from Doctor Macy for me." Eddie said from behind them somewhere.

"Good luck Hoyt, wish you the best, keep in touch." She hugged him and went about her business. Leaving Woody to sit alone at an empty desk. He shuttered and leaned his elbows on the metal desk, resting his forehead in his hands. Suddenly he had never felt more confused and alone.

Jordan silenced the scream of her alarm by throwing it against the wall, six thirty, time to get up and slice open dead people. She groaned threw clenched teeth as she rolled out from under the covers. She stood in the bathroom for a few seconds, just staring at herself in the mirror, mussed hair, girly boxers and tank top, nothing special. 'Nothing Special' those words couldn't be stilled from her mind no matter what she did.

Begrudgingly she turned on the shower and went into the kitchen to turn on her coffee machine. When she found the number seven blinking on her answering machine, she pressed play and listened as each, just as the one before, was livid with silence. But even it the silence she had a creeping suspicion that it was Woody that left those messages.

The day was as dim as ever, the grey sky a bonnet behind the tall skyscrapers and asphalt jungle that was Boston. Rain hung limp and thick in the air, causing each breath to be labored and difficult. The first person she ran into when the elevator doors parted was Nigel.

"Hey Nige." She said, being as cheerful as possible.

"Love, I hate to be the bearer of bad news..." his voice trailed off, suddenly it felt like all of the air was sucked out of her, not even noticing she had dropped the cup of coffee, the paper cup splattering its hot contents across the linoleum floor.

"What?" she asked, his face was pale, suddenly she was just scared, not even knowing why. "Is it dad?" she asked with dawning horror.

"No love, its not like that... no, no one has been hurt." She sighed in relief.

"Its Woodrow darling, he's been transferred."

"Transferred?" she asked, the words rolling off her tounge as she stared blankly into Nigel's dark eyes. He put a brotherly arm around her and led her to his desk, setting her down softly in his seat. He knelt down, swallowing her hands in his.

"To Philadelphia, I just got off the phone with Annie Capra, he should be up here to say goodbye to everyone in a while." He stroked her cheek tenderly and looked at her, his eyes straining to see that old devilish spark that used to glint in her oak- aged eyes, but never saw the will that used to be there.

"This is all my fault love." He whispered faintly, "For thinking I knew better than fate." Tears fell willingly down her face as she collapsed into Nigel for comfort, he was silent as she sobbed into his shoulder. When she heard a voice behind them she pulled away quickly, wiping her eyes and sniffling.

"I'm sorry, I'm I interrupting?" Peter asked, file in his hand.

"No." Nigel said icily, Peter's shoulders fell, his eyes cast down to the floor.

"Leave him alone Nigel, it's not his fault." Jordan rebuked gently, forcing a smile.

"You're right love, it's not my place to be throwing accusations." He smiled, tucking a gentle finger under her chin once more before he wandered out of the room. Peter gazed at her for a few minutes, his eyes fixed, as if he wanted to say more, but the words just wouldn't come. Finally, after an awkward minute he silently strode from the room.

When Jordan opened her office door all was silent. She craved silence now more than ever, but the peaceful feeling would not last long when she noticed the file sitting on her desk. A man hit by a wonderbread truck she chuckled as she stood, saying to herself softly "Death by breadtruck... lovely." She gathered her coat and purse before she could notice the picture sitting on her desk, disappearing behind the shuffle of strewn papers about her desk.

Lily was gorging herself on powdered donuts in the breakroom when she heard a familiar voice. Instinctively she ran for the door, "Woody!" she shouted after his frame, slowly he turned, seeing Lily with her face covered in powder made him chuckle.

"Having a little breakfast huh?" he asked, a classic Woody Hoyt smile spreading across his face. His infectious smile caused Lily to grin as she wiped away the reminants of powder from her face.

"Yeah, hey, I heard you were leaving... what gives?" she asked, nudging him in the side playfully.

"Just need to leave..." he mumbled softly, "I'm going to miss you though." He whispered smiling though his eyes pained.

"I know you're not going to like to hear this Woody... but I'm going to say it anyways... Be careful." She said with conviction.

"Yes mother." He stated like a spoiled child, she shook her head with affection and embraced him. "don't be a stranger Woody, you're like family to us _all_."

"Don't Worry Lil, I'll keep the Christmas cards coming."

"Yeah, now get your hands off my woman." Bug stated tersely, but a smile was on his face, he shook Woody's hand strongly.

"Bug its been a pleasure, if I ever need to know how long a cock roach can live without water you're my man."

"Get out of here before you make me cry." Bug laughed, "Oh, and Detective Hoyt, Good luck, you'll need it." Before Woody could inquire on what he had said, he disappeared behind the crypt door.

Woody strode down the hallway, a little less cockily than before, his eyes searching for Garret, finally finding him in the confrance room with the D.A. he knocked softly before entering.

"Doctor M, got a minute? I need to pick up that A.R. for Eddie Winslow." His eyes fell, he would miss Garret as well, he was kind of a father figure to the young detective, though Garret would kill him if he mentioned it. To his surprise it was D.A. Walcott who spoke up first.

"Terribly sorry to hear your going Detective, you have been a great asset to the Boston Police force, and... you will be missed." Her voice strained to say the last half, she had always been mad at Woody for something, especially if it had something to do with Jordan, and it always had something to do with Jordan.

"Thank you Ma'am." He said politely, shaking her hand. Garret handed him the file, shook his hand and wished him the best of luck... but something wasn't right. Woody could feel it in his bones.

As he left the room he ran smack dab into Nigel and Peter.

"Nigel my man, you'll definitely be one of the people I miss when I'm sitting at a bar all alone with a martini, you won't be there to liven things up."

"And you won't be here to charm things up, best of luck Woodrow." They shook hands and parted. Peter remained.

"Pete." Woody held out a hand, "Its been a pleasure, as always."

Peter hesitated before speaking. "I'm sorry Wood. Really, I am." Without accepting the outstreached hand he marched away. Woody ran a hand threw his hair, turning the corner, ran into Devan, dressed in scrubs, hair pulled into a ponytail her nose in an autopsy report.

"God you people are coming out of the woodworks." He declared.

"Hey Woody, heard you were leaving, where too?" she asked

"Philly." He whispered. She nodded, "You're a good friend Hoyt, I'm going to miss getting stuck in elevators with you." He hugged her and she continued down the hallway, but came to a sudden halt and turned on her heels.

"Hey Wood?" he turned to face her.

"Yeah?"

"How are you going to tell Tyler?" that was a daunting task he didn't want to face. He sighed and chewed at the tip of his fingernail.

"I have no clue." He stated, walking away.

Jordan entered her office just before the rain began to pelt down in stinging sheets, she stripped off her soaking, heavy coat before taking a seat in her chair, she was beat tired, having done four autopsy's and done seven drop offs. When Garret entered her office, stern looking as ever.

"Hey Jo, got those Prelims." He asked.

"Yeah right here." She picked up a file, noticing the small piece of paper flutter to the floor.

"_To Remember Better Times, Woody."_

She picked it up slowly, reading the back first immediately recognizing Woody's handwriting, felt her heart sink, looking at the picture for a long moment, a sense of dread spreading throughout her body, without a word she grabbed her things and shoved her way past Garret, she had to find Woody before it was too late.


	15. Long time coming

Disclaimer: I don't own Crossing Jordan, nor do I own 'Try' by Nelly Furtado... In fact the only thing I do own... is myself.

Note: I should have my next story posted by tommorow, its called 'Brokendown Palace.' which yes I know is a movie, but the title fit so give me some credit. LOL enjoy the last chapter everyone!

Woody sat in the empty space of his apartment, the silence mocking him. Boxes scattered the room, most of his furniture had been moved out into a old U-haul, a few boxes in his car, his friend Josie, a waitress from the diner down the street was helping his drive the U-haul. He was unaccountably sad for reasons unknown even to him, he should be happy for the substantial pay raise, not to mention he could afford a bigger apartment. Yet, something held him back, some indefinable reason he couldn't leave.

He heard Tyler in the doorway calling him, he sighed and came in.

"Hey Tomcat, what's all this?" she asked pointing to the boxes in his empty living room.

"I'm moving." He said softly, refusing to meet his eyes, her grey-green eyes scanned the room.

"And when were you planning on telling your girlfriend that?" she asked, playing with the tips of his hair.

"I didn't know how to tell you." He said softly, closing his eyes, he hated lying to Tyler, she was a great girl and deserved someone who appreciated her, someone who wasn't in love with a driven medical examiner that pushed his every button and enjoyed doing it.

"Listen..." he started, she quickly stopped him.

"Don't start like that, nothing good starts with 'listen'." Her voice was soft, she cocked her head to look at him better, she could see the pain in his eyes with every word he spoke.

"I don't want to do this Ty, I like you a lot..." his voice trailed off once again.

"I know Woody baby, its hard to be in love with someone who doesn't love you back." She stood, placed a soft kiss on his forehead and left, closing the door behind her softly.

He didn't know how long he sat there in the barren studio, reminding him on how barren his life was. He was starting over again, a fresh page in an old book, a pilgrim in a strange new land. It was over, Boston was over; at now he stood at crossroads, wondering which fork to take, wondering if he would ever know the answer.

Jordan slammed her fist against the middle of the steering wheel hopelessly, trying to see over the endless sea of vehicles packed onto the expressway, normally she would have been surprised at how fast the crowd was traveling, especially in rain. But today it seemed sluggish and lengthy. She sighed in frustration and looked for the nearest exit.

For some unaccountable reason she started to cry, a solitary, salty tear falling gracefully down her cheek, she knew the second that he made it to the airport it was over, and she couldn't stand the thought of that, it being over, just like that. She knew it was her fault, for him leaving, he was running away from her, from what she caused. She pushed, one too many times, he stopped pushing back. Her long hair was matted softly from the rain; her red woolen coat soaked threw. The picture he left for her propped on the dashboard, she looked at it ever so often, remembering how happy she felt then, when he was there with her. All she wanted to tell him was simply.

_Stay._

That one word had always been frightening to her, it used to be _stay away. _Until she walked into a bank and met this freakishly dorky cop that had some really weird hobbies, but cared, and didn't care how long it took. Before she knew it that lone tear was an army, she quickly pulled off to the side of the expressway, the city all lit up, the cars whizzing by. Without warning she pounded her fury into the steering wheel, slamming all she had into that inert object, hoping the pain would disappear.

Woody slammed the trunk of his car shut, leaning against it for support. He didn't know why he was waiting there, he was set to leave, all he had to do was get in the car and drive... just like when he was little, all he needs to be free is to drive away and keep driving. Sliding to the ground, he rested his head on the black lacquered car door. He couldn't move because he felt like... he was betraying someone, Jordan, he knew she never meant to hurt him... but she did, and one day soon he could forgive her, when he was a safe distance away. He slammed his head against the car, hoping that the pain in his head would take his mind off the pain in his heart. Slowly he stood and stretched, looking up and down the empty residential street, not sure what he was hoping to see, just hoping to see some sign he should stay. Not so much as a dog on the street, running a hand threw his hair, he climbed into his car. With a nervous groan he shoved the key into the ignition.

Jordan's driving was already shaky, but she was speeding down the narrow street, only when she felt the curb under her tire did she stop completely. His light was on, good sign, at least he didn't leave.

Now she really hated that he lived on the top floor, 'I mean really, who ever buys a apartment on the twelfth floor?' she thought as she saw his familiar baby blue door, the brass numbers spelling out 445, his apartment, she breathed in.

"Woody!" she shouted as she smashed her small hand into the door, pounding frantically. "Woody please, don't leave!" she was sobbing as she yelled at the door, still it didn't budge, the door stood still. All she could hear was the steady drum of the rain against the roof. When it opened, like magic, she smiled, wiping her tears away quickly.

"Woody." She said excited, but to her astonishment, it wasn't Woody standing in the doorway, it was Tyler, dressed in a simple white spaghetti strap shirt and levi's.

"He isn't here." She said softly but a little stiffly. "He left about five minutes ago... the only reason I'm here is he asked me to pack up some stuff he left behind." Jordan almost sunk to the floor, her knees going weak, her face falling. Tyler sized her up a bit and smiled "Its not to late to catch him Jordan, hurry."

Jordan didn't even remember running down the stairs, just that when she felt the accelerator she pressed down, hard. She passed a old woman in a car, turning, hearing her car skid, not caring. Her windshield wipers streaking rain away from her line of view, but only to be returned with more of the silver water. She saw his taillights before her headlights hit him; she felt excitement course threw her veins.

Pushing her car to go faster she passed the double yellow line, honking viciously, he didn't even notice her, his eyes seemed so distant. Before she could stop herself she passed him up, only to blockade the lane with her car, next thing she heard was the skidding of brakes.

"Dear God Jordan are you insane!" Woody screamed, leaping out of his car, slamming his door so hard his car shuttered.

Slowly she got out of the silver ford explorer, her hands trembling.

"Woody, I have to talk to you!" she screamed over the din of the rain.

"And that requires you killing yourself?" he asked loudly, his hair in his face, he was already soaked with rain, now he was drenched.

"What were you just going to leave, and not say anything to me... just leave without a trace?" she demanded angrily.

"If that's what it takes." He said firmly, crossing his arms in a determined manner. Jordan could see him trembling with cold in his T-shirt, he acted like it didn't matter, but Jordan knew it did.

"Woody please, I want you to come home, to Boston, Boston is your home... please." She begged, her chin trembling. "I want you here with me." He leaned against his car, closing his eyes and running his hand threw his hair, 'his nervous habit.' Jordan thought to herself, his sopping hair slicked back. He was thinking, she knew he hated to be interrupted when making a decision; he began to chew furiously at his fingernail.

"Woody... I... Please." She begged, hugging herself and coming closer to him... the empty road only occupied by them suddenly seemed to wide, as if he could get away, she desperately craved to be closer. She could hear his radio on, a DJ talked quickly, about things that didn't really matter; Woody finally opened his eyes after a long minute.

"What do you want Jordan, I don't even think you know." He rebuked softly.

"I want you Woody... please... please." She begged, almost on her hands and knees, with each second that passed she realized that he might say no, something that register in her mind until now. Something that she should have thought about. It was several excruciating seconds before he spoke, when he heard the first song come on the radio, it's tune soft and melodious, the lyrics bleeding together with the music.

And to Jordan's relief, Woody smiled. "Dance with me." He commanded gently, holding out his hand, she took it before he had the chance to pull away. She leaned into him, suddenly she didn't feel her body shaking from cold or fear, she felt safe, and warm right threw. Setting her chin on his shoulder she smiled, she wouldn't let him out of her sights again.

All I know  
Is everything is not as it's sold  
but the more I grow the less I know  
And I have lived so many lives  
Though I'm not old  
And the more I see, the less I grow  
The fewer the seeds the more I sow

Then I see you standing there  
Wanting more from me  
And all I can do is try  
Then I see you standing there  
Wanting more from me  
And all I can do is try

I wish I hadn't seen all of the realness  
And all the real people are really not real at all  
The more I learn the more I cry  
As I say goodbye to the way of life  
I thought I had designed for me

Then I see you standing there  
wanting more from me  
and all I can do is try  
Then I see you standing there  
I'm all I'll ever be  
But all I can do is try  
Try

All of the moments that already passed  
We'll try to go back and make them last  
All of the things we want each other to be  
We never will be  
And that's wonderful, and that's life  
And that's you, baby  
This is me, baby  
And we are, we are, we are, we are  
Free  
In our love  
We are free in our love

One year later...

Woody sat at the base of the stairs that led to the street, rain battering the sidewalk, much like that day Jordan came for him. his job back, everything back into place, he could breath again. It was such a long time since he had seen familiar, to long to count the years. But for the first time in his life he felt... safe, and happy. It had been a long time since he felt that cold metal bat in his hands, and heard that tired moan. Still he heard them like yesterday, they left a vivid image in his mind he couldn't forget, he didn't want to. Maybe, he thought to himself, Maybe, the past isn't meant to be forgotten, its suppose to be remembered and learned from, even the most painful experiences, can have something good come out of them.

"Hey, Woody Honey, you coming inside?" Jordan asked from the doorway at the top of the stair, a small pouch to her stomach, showing threw her overalls, white paint smudged her face. They we're painting the spare bedroom for their child. A simple but tasteful gold ring on her finger. In seven and a half months they would have a new reason to stay in touch, to learn and experience, there was just one more thing to do. Slowly he pulled up the touchtone phone that sat in his clammy hand; this was a long time coming.

"Deana's Diner, how may I help you?" a voice said on the other end, Woody swallowed hard before answering.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Leah Hoyt, she still works here right?"

"Yeah Honey, can I ask who this is?"

"Woody Hoyt, her son..."

_ Fin_


End file.
